Making a Study Schedule

You went to your first class. And second. And third. And fourth. And fifth, and now you’re wondering how you’re meant to complete all the readings, and assignments, while studying for the tests, and midterms, and exams?
 
There are only so many minutes in a day (1440 to be precise), and many of them are already allocated to activities that are not studying. 

• Class Time

• Work

• Athletics

• Relationships

• Volunteering

• Extracurriculars

• Sleep
 

The BEST way to manage your time, is to know what time you have.

• Use the Weekly Schedule handout to discover what time you have available to study
• Block off all time already in use: class, work, etc.
• Once you do this, you can see what time is free and create study sessions

When creating your study schedule, it is important to keep in mind the following, and be HONEST with yourself:

• Are you a morning person? If not, do not block that time as study time. You will be unproductive and our confidence decreases when we fail to reach our goals. Let’s not begin the week by skipping planned study sessions!
• What time do you go to bed? If you’re all tucked in by 9:00, don’t set aside study time after then
• You need to take breaks. It is important to maintain your physical and mental health throughout the semester. You need to eat, sleep, and do things that make you happy, but in moderation Two hours of Netflix each night could be 14 hours of studying/week. We all make choices and must accept the consequences
• It is important to be flexible with your schedule. You need to be prepared for the unplanned… both good and bad. Whether it’s a surprise trip to the dentist or the movies, you need to be able to accommodate either
• Remember, THIS TAKES TIME. You are building a routine and it will take several weeks to get into the swing of things. You might find certain study times don’t work. Maybe you are more productive in the evenings and weekends than you thought you’d be. You can adjust!  

Once you know WHEN to study, then you can organize yourself on WHAT to study. Please look at the Task Analysis handout to identify the tasks you need to complete, in order to stay on top of things.

Sources:
Cuseo, Joseph B, Aaron Thompson, Michele Campagna, Viki Sox Fecas. Thriving in College and Beyond: Research-Based Strategies for Academic Success and Personal Development. Dubuque: Kendall Hunt Publishing Company, 2016.